from the Newsletter of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic
Studies
MAPS - Volume 4 Number 2 Summer 1993

MAPS' 1992-1993 Fiscal Report
Rick Doblin

Overview

At the beginning of this fiscal year, MAPS had about 350 members and $897
in the bank. By the end of the fiscal year, MAPS' membership had doubled
to 707 and its balance was $46,066 (consisting of $32,066 in cash and
$14,000 in receivables related to MAPS' co-sponsorship of the 50th
anniversary of LSD conferences-see pages 34-37 and 52-56). Of MAPS'
assets, $37,000 is restricted to specific research projects and $9,066 is
available for other research projects and general operating expenses. (The
expenses associated with this newsletter will reduce MAPS' non-restricted
funds to about $6,000.) MAPS' total income grew in FY 1992 from $28,860
(see MAPS Newsletter, Vol III, #3) to $113,962. Growth stemmed from
increased membership donations, gross receipts of about $24,000 from
admission fees to the 50th Anniversary conferences and, for the first time
in MAPS' seven-year history, foundation grants. MAPS would like to take
this opportunity to acknowledge with appreciation grants of $30,000 from
the Dartington Hall Trust's Nicholas Carr-Saunders Fund (restricted to
MDMA research in Russia) and $2,000 from the Tides Foundation's Breath and
Smile Fund for general operating expenses.

MAPS' ability to cover its organizational expenses from membership
donations permits it to offer donors the opportunity to direct 100% of
their donations to research projects of their choice. This strategy seems
to me to be the key to MAPS' fundraising success.

Allocation of assets

Russian MDMA Research Project-$30,000

Dr. Evgeny Krupitsky of the St. Petersburg Regional Dispensary of
Narcology is leading MAPS' Russian MDMA research project to study the
therapeutic potential of MDMA in the treatment of alcoholism and neurosis.
Unfortunately, Dr. Krupitsky was recently denied permission to conduct
MDMA research by the governmental Control Committee on Narcotics. Dr.
Krupitsky reports that a new law on narcotics (more soft and reasonable)
is being worked out now in the Supreme Soviet of Russia, and it should be
adopted around January,1994. At that point, new members will be appointed
to the Control Committee on Narcotics and the restrictions on MDMA
research stand a good chance of being lifted. Nobody can specify the date
of these events more exactly because the future is unpredictable,
especially in Russia.

MAPS intends to be patient and wait for the newly organized Control
Committee to reconsider Dr, Krupitsky's proposal. At that time, the
Committee will have the opportunity to review preliminary results from
MDMA research in the US and Switzerland which we expect will support Dr.
Krupitsky's case.

LSD Research Project-$5,000

An additional $5,000 of MAPS' resources is reserved for the only FDA-
approved LSD research project. This experiment will explore the use of LSD
in the treatment of substance abuse and will be conducted by Drs. Kurland,
Yensen, and Dryers (see related story about ibogaine). Before this study
can begin, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is needed. The
researchers hope to obtain IRB approval and begin their study within three
to six months.

The $5,000 was donated by two friends, one of whom attended the 50th
Anniversary of LSD event in Santa Cruz, April 16 and was deeply moved by
Drs. Yensen and Dryer. She encouraged a close friend who was not at the
event to help her personally make sure that MAPS' goal of raising $5,000
for the LSD study was fulfilled. Their generosity was especially
fortuitous since the April 16 event only broke even.

MDMA Research in the US-$2,000

An additional $2,000 is restricted to MDMA research in the US. This
represents MAPS' share of the profits (50% to MAPS and 50% to California
NORML) from the April 17 event in San Francisco, all profits of which
MAPS pledged to use for research. These funds will be spent in the near
future.

Pledges to MAPS

MAPS has been pledged $50,000 to support a study comparing smoked
marijuana and the oral THC pill in the treatment of the HIV-related
wasting syndrome (see page 6). MAPS has also been pledged $15,000 for a
study of the effectiveness of water pipes in filtering marijuana smoke
(see page 4-5). Since both projects require additional funding, I will ask
the donors to make their actual contributions only after I have obtained
pledges completely sufficient to fund the studies.

Expenses

In FY 1993, MAPS spent $68,019 (see chart). Of that amount, $22,409 was
spent on costs related to the 50th Anniversary of LSD events, all which
was recovered from admission fees. MAPS' expenditures which were not
matched by income amounted to $45,610. Of that amount, $ 26,254 was spent
on MAPS' communication and educational activities. This includes postage,
phones, copies, newsletters, books, tapes, and informational materials.
Not counted is the large amount of time donated by a graphic designer who
produces the MAPS newsletter and designed the 50th Anniversary of LSD
poster.

MAPS' office and officer expenses were $16,260. This includes $5,083 for
my salary of $1,000 per month, which I began taking for the first time in
January 1993 even though such expense was authorized by the Board
beginning June 1992. There were $5,689 in travel expenses and conference
fees, covering my travels (coach class) to Washington to meet with the FDA
(see MAPS Newsletter Vol. III, #3), to Prague for the International
Transpersonal Association conference (see MAPS Newsletter Vol. III, #3),
to Germany for the European College for the Study of Consciousness
conference (see MAPS Newsletter Vol. III, #4), and various other domestic
travel to meetings with researchers. This sum also includes travel for
myself and one Board Member to the MAPS Board of Directors Annual Meeting.
Also included in this category are licenses, office rent, payments on
MAPS' computers, and legal and accounting fees.

The final category of expense is research support, for which MAPS spent
$3,096. This sum is small for several reasons, primarily having to do with
the fact that research administering MDMA or LSD or marijuana has not yet
started. In addition, the physicians working on the MDMA, LSD and rave
research projects have so far donated their time. Most of MAPS' 1993
research support funds went to support travel costs for Dr. Krupitsky and
Dr. Andre Vrublevsky of the Moscow Center for the Study of Addictions.
MAPS' support enabled them to meet with other psychedelic researchers and
develop plans for the Russian MDMA research project.